Protesters have descended on the Girlguiding’s headquarters in Scotland against a decision to exclude trans girls from the organisation. Girlguiding announced on December 2 that “with a heavy heart” it would no longer accept trans girls as members. It came after a Supreme Court ruling in April on biological sex.
About 100 members of the Girlguiding community, including parents and younger children involved in the organisation’s Rainbows group for four to seven year olds, gathered in Edinburgh to protest against the decision. Organised by Guiders Against Trans Exclusion, protesters heard evidence from a father who recently told his six-year-old trans daughter she could no longer attend Rainbows, and who condemned the decision.
Another parent said the decision “harms all children, not only trans children”, and described it as “disgusting”. Marnie Collin, 55, a psychotherapist and mother-of-three, attended as her step-daughter attends Guides and her youngest child is non-binary.
Ms Collin said: “We want our children to know that even if they feel powerless, they can get together with other people and make change happen. It’s a shame.”
She added: “It seems as if the organisation has had its arm twisted to do this. I think it sends out a bad message to give into force.”
The mum said the situation was becoming an “unequal playing field” for grassroots organisations.
Rainbows leader Ann Burnett, 56, was with her daughter Lauren, 23, who is non-binary and has progressed through Girlguiding from a young age. She helped to organise the protest.
Ms Burnett said: “Girlguiding is a society not an organisation, that should include everyone, not just those assigned female at birth.”
Organiser Eloise Lawrence, 21, said: “I’ve been in Guiding since the age of five, as a queer woman this is heartbreaking. We want to make sure we uphold our Guiding values as members. This is a community full of pride and love.”
She read the evidence of the father of a six-year-old child who had recently tried Rainbows but was later told of the new policy. The anonymous father said that after telling his trans daughter she could no longer attend Rainbows, he found her self-harming.
Placards at the event included “A Guide is a sister, not a cister”, and “This cowardly ban harms children”. Protesters sang Guiding songs and recited the Promise, which is committed to by all members of the organisation.
Mother-of-two Heather Collins said: “This is an opportunity to teach children about inclusivity, my other child is involved in the Scouts movement and I hope we don’t see the same policy changes there.
“The powerful women who are behind this should feel a deep shame. The Supreme Court decision is about gender recognition certificates, which under-18s can’t even obtain. It has got nothing to do with the Supreme Court.”
A statement from Girlguiding said after the Supreme Court’s decision many organisations have faced complex decisions about what it means for girls, women and the communities affected.
It added: “Girlguiding’s governing charity documents set out that the membership and people who benefit from our organisation are girls and women. The Supreme Court ruled that girls and women are defined in the Equality Act 2010 by their biological sex at birth.
“Following detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members and our council, the board of trustees for Girlguiding has made the difficult decision that Girlguiding must change, following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community.”
On the protests, Girlguiding said it understood its decision to restrict new youth membership to only those assigned female at birth had an impact on members, volunteers and supporters.
